Stained Memories
by j'adore chocolat
Summary: rating to b safe. Kenshin comes back from defeating Shishio with more scarred memories. the dojo is different however when he comes back. What happened to the dojo? R&R please
1. prologue

I CHANGED THE PLOT OF THE STORY. WHEN KENSHIN GOES OFF TO DEFEAT SHISHIO, KAORU AND YAHIKO DO NOT GO AFTER HIM.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN. I WISH I DID THOUGH-

_Running. Trees passing in blurs as a younger version of Kaoru sprinted down the forest path. It was night, with no moon in the cloudy sky. The air was tearing at her clothing as she ran, sheer panic visible in her eyes. The trees were ending; the 10 year old Kaoru let out a cry of delight as she saw flat fields ahead of her. Just when the small ebony haired girl allowed herself a glimmer of hope, a tall figure blocked her path. Kaoru stopped, staring at the man of her nightmares. Haggard face, limp brown hair down to his shoulders, beady eyes that seemed to pierce her mind with every glance… a face that haunted her daily. Kaoru dropped to her knees, trying to breathe, but her body wouldn't respond. The trees were blurring, the man's face leering at her, laughing at her pain and distress. He was drawing his sword. Run, run, run, run, run, run. Her mind was sending the signals, but her body wasn't responding._


	2. premonition

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN. I WISH I DID THOUGH-

"Run!" Kaoru sat up, causing her blanket to fall off. The command to her immobile dream self was still on her lips. "Just a dream Kaoru, he isn't coming back. You haven't seen him in nine years. You are safe." She told herself sternly. "There is no Kenshin or Sano to protect you if he does come back." A voice in her head whispered to her. Kaoru's eyes fell onto the chest in the closet. "No. I'll be fine. He isn't coming." Getting up, Kaoru dressed in her usual dojo trainer outfit, and made her way to the kitchen. A bleary eyed Yahiko sat at the table, waiting for breakfast. "I'm hungry! You know, sleep isn't gonna make you any prettier." Yahiko said. "What did you say to me?"

"You heard me ugly!"

"You ungrateful little.." A saucepan flew through the air, hitting Yahiko.

"Hey! I'm not little!" and with that, the usual mayhem in the morning at the Kamiya dojo began.

When the supply of saucepans and insults were exhausted, the two argued about what to do about breakfast. "You cook it, you are the girl."

"Excuse me?! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I am your servant."

"Duh, if you were my servant I'd be eating now."

"Oh yeah? We----"

A chuckle met Kaoru's ears. For a second, an irrational fear seized her. "I brought breakfast." Dr. Genzai walked into the kitchen, followed by his two adorable grandchildren, Ayame and Suzume. Kaoru sighed and smiled. "It's great to have you here to take care of us." A certain rurouni's image appeared in her mind. Kaoru felt like running into her room and crying her eyes out. "No. I have to be strong. Remember what Megumi said." Noticing that everyone was staring at her, Kaoru plastered a freakishly large grin on her face and got the dishes out. Over breakfast, Dr. Genzai told them why he had come. "I'm sorry to ask you this again, but could you watch Ayame and Suzume today? I feel bad leaving Megumi at the office by herself, even if she can handle it." "Sure, no problem Dr. Genzai, it's the least we can do after everything you have done for us."

"Thank you." Kissing his grandchildren good bye, he left. After washing up the dishes from breakfast, Kaoru turned to the three children. "Yahiko, I have to go into town to get the the boat tickets to Kyoto. Will you be alright watching Ayame and Suzume?"

"Yeah, of course I will, I'm not a little kid you know."

"Whatever. I need to go get ready."

In her room, Kaoru put on her best kimono, a light blue one with pink cherry blossoms and a pink obi. Brushing her hair out, Kaoru wondered what Kenshin and Sano were up to. "I just hope they are all right. What would I do if something happened to them?" Kaoru shivered just thinking about it. Once her hair was in place in her customary ponytail, she found the three children in the yard, Yahiko watching the two girls playing with their dolls. "Yahiko, make sure you watch them carefully. Don't let anything happen to them; I trust you." Yahiko looked up at his master. An emotion he had never seen in her sapphire eyes was present. She definitely wasn't joking. "I will." And with that, Kaoru started her journey to town.

If you met this young woman on this particular day however, you would notice that her mind seemed elsewhere, her eyes haunted, her body seeming to be on autopilot. Kaoru had felt an odd premonition when she uttered the words "Don't let anything happen to them" to Yahiko. A feeling that bad things were in her near future, and that she might never be the same person after whatever foretold event came at her.

Whatcha think? Bit short, I know. Please review, criticism welcome.


	3. foreboding

It's been awhile, hasn't it? Well, here you go!

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN OR THE SONG

_It's easier to run_

_Replacing this pain with something numb_

_It's so much easier to go_

_Than face this pain here all alone_

The shopping done, Kaoru headed back to the dojo, all the arrangements for the upcoming journey taken care of. That nagging feeling of foreboding that had followed all day was getting worse the closer she got home.

_Something has been taken  
__From deep inside of me  
A secret I've kept locked away  
No one can ever see  
Wounds so deep they never show  
They never go away  
Like moving pictures in my head  
For years and years they've played_

Without realizing it, Kaoru started walking faster and faster, almost falling over in the kimono that restricted the movement of her legs. Her vision blurred, her eyes seeing something no one else could. The blood, oh kami, it was everywhere. On her hands, on the ground, the sky was filled with it...

_If I could change I would _

_Take back the pain I would _

_Retrace every wrong move that I made I would _

_If I could Stand up and take the blame I would _

_If I could take all the shame to the grave _

_I Would_

The familiar road to the dojo turned into a lane of memories, his face leering at her, smiling at her, laughing at her...

_Sometimes I remember _

_The darkness of my past_

_Bringing back these memories_

_I wish I didn't have_

_Sometimes I think of letting go_ _And never looking back_ _And never moving forward so_

_There would never be a past_

The fast paced walk became a headlong dash to the safety of the dojo, a desperate attempt to outrun the memories that had haunted her for so long.

_Just washing it aside  
all of the helplessness inside  
Pretending I don't feel misplaced  
is so much simpler than change_

Kaoru's instincts were screaming as she stumbled up the steps. Kicking off her sandals, Kaoru ran to the back of the house. Dropping the tickets and the groceries on the floor, she opened the screen door and stepped onto the porch.

_It's easier to run  
replacing this pain with something numb  
it's so much easier to go  
than face all this pain here all alone_

"Yahiko?" Stepping onto the ground in her socks, Kaoru felt the warm ground beneath her. "Ayame?" no answer. "Suzume?" dropping her gaze to the ground, Kaoru saw a droplet of red on the brown dirt. "No..." slowly, her gaze followed the trail of blood into a clump of bushes. Hesitant, she reached a hand out, pushing the leaves back.

"Yahiko! No, Yahiko!"

The song is Easier to Run by Linking Park

What did you think? Review please (criticism welcome).


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